Set up more self employment training institutes: Raghuvansh

New Delhi, Feb 14 (UNI) Minister for Rural Development Raghuvansh Prasad Singh has underscored the need to establish Self-employment Training institutes in each district for training the poor in income generating activities.

The emergent need was for skill development of the uneducated members of the BPL families, he said. He gave an example of rural development and self-training institutes in Karnataka, which could be replicated by other states and banks. Dr Singh reiterated the need for adequate marketing support for rural products.

He urged the banks to initiate steps to open branches in blocks which lacked banking facilities and also urged them for a uniform rate of interest to be charged under the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY). He expressed concern about the large number of loan applications pending, the low percentage of the credit mobilised and large number of banks that have achieved less than 25 per cnet credit target. He added that banks have a very important role in the SGSY scheme as they are responsible for sanction of loan applications, credit mobilisation and disbursal.

The Minister was addressing the 11th Meeting of the Central Level Coordination Committee (CLCC) under SGSY, which was held here recently and was attended by the senior officers of the Ministry of Rural Development, State Rural Development Secretaries, representatives of various Ministries, RBI, NABARD, Commercial Banks and NGOs.

CLCC is an apex level institution that act as an interface between those involved in administration of rural development programmes, especially, SGSY, which is a credit based programme and the credit is routed through the banks.

In her opening remarks, Dr Rita Sharma, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development emphasised on the need for holding regular meetings of SGSY Committees at block, district and state level for better performance and monitoring of the programme. The CLCC is a forum to discuss the ways and means to make a frontal attack on rural poverty, she said.

SGSY is flagship programme of the Ministry of Rural Development that helps BPL families to generate income and develop skills for self employment. The total number of SHGs (Self Help Groups) formed under the scheme is 27.32 lakh. The financially assisted SHGs are 5.57 lakh.

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